Tag Archives: water paintings

The Pond

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Above: The Pond. Oil on 32 by 32 inch wood. Rose Strang 2024.

This is a painting that began as a commission – inspired by a pond created out of love. I like it I think, it has a feel of Monet and Alex Katz – both artists I love (though I’m nowhere near the freedom of Monet nor the distilled shapes of Katz of course!)

I found it dream-like as a subject. The pond itself was created over many years by a landscape designer as a gift of love for his (now) wife. I wanted to capture the depth, darks, lights, then harmonies of a long term relationship.

Here are some enlargeable images and details including the painting as it looks on a mantlepiece…

Monet’s water lily paintings are so often underestimated as ‘pretty’. I find them cosmic! I highly recommend this episode from Matthew Colling’s series The Revenge of The Nice –

‘Borrowed Land’ – Exhibition launch at the Kilmorack Gallery

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Above – Borrowed Land , group exhibition at the Kilmorack Gallery. The ‘Trace’ series of paintings will be on exhibition as part of the show, which runs from November 2023 to March 2nd 2024. (Read more about the series here: Traces of the Past)

Last Saturday I travelled up north to be part of the the launch of Borrowed Land, an exhibition curated by owner of the Kilmorack Gallery Tony Davidson.

Part of Tony’s inspiration for the exhibition came from the quote; We do not inherit the land, we borrow it from our children. All participating artists were invited to respond to the concept of ‘borrowed land’. (our responses are included in the exhibition catalogue which is available from the gallery website here – Catalogue )

I’m completely enchanted by the Kilmorack gallery aesthetic and atmosphere. The building was formerly a church, built (at least part of it I think) in the late 1700s. I usually experience an internal cringe when churches are converted to non-religious purposes, not neccessarily because of the change of use from religious to commercial or everyday residential, but the fact of the architectural purpose of church buildings, which are designed to inspire contemplation, imagine the heavens or to aspire to something beyond ourselves. It’s why I feel an art gallery is suited to such a building; if the art presented inspires thought, imagination and contemplation as much as aesthetics.

Have a read about the exhibition Here, or take a look at the gallery via this excellent 3D walk-through …

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=cYumFGguSW7&sr=.06,-.58&ss=3

After the exhibition launch we stayed over night to walk around the next day – some photos …

Borrowed Land – The Kilmorack Gallery – new exhibition

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Above; Trace. Portnellan Island. Loch Venachar. Oil on 70x70cm canvas. Rose Strang 2023

These three works are on show as part of the exhibition; Borrowed Land, launching at The Kilmorack Gallery, Inverness-shire, from 18th November to 2nd March 2023/2024.

From the Kilmorack Gallery website:

“Kilmorack Gallery has timed this exhibition – Borrowed Land – to run when Scotland’s landscape is at its greatest threat since the clearances. Giant multi-national companies threaten to build electrical substations the size of university campuses, along with 60m high pylon lines hundreds of miles long, and soon after will come the transformation of hills into power stations with a new generation of mega-turbines”.

This exhibition (by the Kilmorack Gallery which is run by Tony Davidson, author of Confessions of a Highland Art Dealer: A journey in art, a glen and changing times.) represents a meaningful opportunity for me to get to the heart of my love of landscape as a painter.

The phrase borrowed land comes from the (so far unattributed) statement – We do not inherit the earth, we borrow it from our children.

In response to a request to write something about my work for this exhibition I offered the following –

Landscape is the most profound teacher. Through painting landscape over the years, my brushwork begins to reflect energy felt from the elements observed. Mark-making is instinctive to humans but we still barely understand why we make the marks we do. Those prehistoric drawings in the caves of Lascaux might express wonderment, or reverence towards nature as much as the desire to kill and eat animals.

The idea behind the phrase ‘Borrowed Land’ reframes a question; ‘What will you leave to posterity, to future generations?’ I’m fascinated by the traces left behind by past cultures, traces that are often barely discernible today. Some cultures left subtle marks.

Through landscape painting I can express my sense of reverence towards nature. I find that the element of water expresses layers of mystery – what is revealed or concealed, what is reflected? How quickly the ripples created by a falling leaf disappear and how quickly lasting destruction can occur. The paintings in this series are of bodies of water near archaeological sites of past cultures who left little trace.

Borrowed Land – launching at the Kilmorack Gallery on the 18th November.

Click on this link for more info about the exhibition – Borrowed Land

More on these paintings next week …

'Water of Leith. 9'. Oil on 7x5" wood. Rose Strang, May 2020.

Water of Leith Series (in progress) 2

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Above Water of Leith. 9′. Oil on 7×5″ wood. Rose Strang, May 2020. Today’s painting from the Water of Leith series, which will be on exhibition at Limetree Gallery, Bristol. If you’re interested in any of this series, please contact the Limetree Gallery on their website – Limetree, Bristol. (As the paintings are in oil they’ll take till mid June to dry).

This is a strange view, odd in real life yet compelling. I haven’t captured it exactly to my liking but it has a bit of the mystery I was trying capture. It’s a view across the river to gardens, the river is just about to tip over into a waterfall on the right and has the glassy smoothness rivers have at that point.

Below I’ve shown a bit of process – the clarity of the first sketch is nice, but the colours were wrong. I’ll most likely have a new attempt at it tomorrow, but I’m happy with this one as a finished painting. There was too much going on in the top half so as you can see I just wiped it out! It’s a bit more restful I think.

 

'Water of Leith. 7'. Oil on 7x5" wood. Rose Strang, May 2020.

Water of Leith Series (in progress)

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Above – today’s two paintings for the Water of Leith series, which is in progress. These are available (though as these are oils they make take a week or so to dry) through the Limetree Gallery, Bristol. Please contact the gallery if you are interested in any of the paintings, on their website – Limetree Gallery

I’m still very much enjoying the process of working in oils for this series. Well, enjoying isn’t exactly the word! I’m muddling through my experience of working in a new way – I find it’s conducive to more simple abstracted painting. Not because that makes it more easy but because the paint quality asks for more space and simplicity. Also, if I wanted to paint a very detailed oil painting it would take months due to drying times, not my favourite way of painting – which is akin to binge-watching a series rather than waiting for a once-a-week installment! A mood and volition can be sustained more easily without long breaks.

I’ve always admired artists who can say more with less, but the process (or at least my process) is always to start with observing everything in some detail; like a camera pan that then takes ever closer close-ups. I can’t reduce down patterns until I understand them. Maybe in a few years that process will become easier though.

This is a calm series, reflecting my mood during lockdown, which on a personal level I’ve enjoyed in many ways. I’ve been painting more with less distractions, which is welcome.

The two paintings above were just finished today, anyone interested in them can reserve or buy them through the Limetree Gallery, but they won’t be completely dry till about the 7th June.

Here’s some images showing the series so far …

 

'Water of Leith. 6'. Oil on 7x5" wood. Rose Strang, May 2020

Painting in oils

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I’ve been hugely enjoying this new series in oils, featuring studies of the Water of Leith, Edinburgh’s river which flows from the Pentland Hills down to the shore at Leith. This series is still in progress and there will be around ten paintings, some diptyques.

The water of Leith always has a rich, peaty colour, which looks so beautiful in contrast with the colours of May. I wanted to capture the dewy light and light rain-showers. During lockdown I’ve had to focus on local landscape in Edinburgh. but the light has had a crystal clarity (less pollution maybe) that’s been inspiring.

I usually paint in acrylics as it’s quicker (drying time) but with more time on my hands these past few months I’ve been able to experiment with oils and I love it! I think the received wisdom is that oils are more difficult, but I find them easier in many ways, especially on this small scale.

The paint has a flow and intensity of pigment that gives immediately more luminous, deep or subtle effects and I realise that a lot of my time painting acrylics is in making the paint surface look better – with more depth or texture etc. In future, if I want texture or impasto I’ll probably start with acrylics, wait for it to dry then paint surface colours in oil. (All very tedious information for the non-painter maybe!)

It’s good practice for my upcoming seascape commission in which I want both texture and subtle watery effects. I’ll post more on that soon. In the meantime I’ll be posting updates on this series.

The ‘Water of Leith’ series will be available from the Limetree Gallery when the series is finished, which should be by mid-June – I’ll clarify the date when I know. So if you like the look of these paintings and would like to reserve one,

you can contact the Limetree Gallery through their website Here

 

 

Wells of Arthur’s Seat – day 7

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Today’s paintings for the Wells of Arthur’s Seat upcoming exhibition and event. All info Here

The two directly above are still in progress, nearly there!

‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Waterfall I’ Mixed media on 35 x 18.5 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018

‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Stream and Hill I’ Mixed media on 35 x 18.5 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018

‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Waterfall II’ Mixed media on 16 x 13 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018

‘Wells of Arthur’s Seat, Swimming Toad in Hunter’s Bog’ Mixed media on 16 x 13 inch wood panel. Rose Strang 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canals (series in progress) 2

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'Canal 3'. Acrylic on 14x12" wood panel

‘Canal 3’. Acrylic on 14×12″ wood panel

'Canal 2'. Acrylic on 14x12" wood panel.

‘Canal 2’. Acrylic on 14×12″ wood panel.

canal-1

'Severn 1'. Acrylic on 14x12" wood panel.

‘Severn 1’. Acrylic on 14×12″ wood panel.

Today’s paintings – buildings and boats along the canal, less abstract, also more work on Canal 1, Canal 2 and Severn 1

Severn and Canals (series in progress)

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p1140614 p1140618 p1140622Above – today’s paintings in progress from a new series following a recent trip to Gloucestershire. The first two showing canals and the darker one of the Severn in twilight, which needs quite a lot more work.

This will be a series of 12 paintings on 14×12″ panels, quite a nice size to work on though it feels small after the Damascus paintings. I got in touch with a few galleries in nearby Bristol who’re interested in my work so this should lead to an exhibition some time this year I hope!

The Severn was a strange experience, we actually walked out on to the sand which as it turns out was quite foolhardy; the apparently solid sand bars can suddenly shift beneath you to the mud beneath, though I think the danger is more to do with the fact it’s a tidal river which comes in suddenly, which could leave you surrounded by water (as once happened when I was a kid, returning from Crammond Island near Edinburgh). Apparently if you’re sinking into mud you shouldn’t struggle but instead get horizontal to disperse weight, then crawl for your life!

The third wood panel for my Damascus Rose series has arrived so I’ll be completing the third painting soon, more posts on that coming up…

In the meantime, my sale of limited edition prints from the east coast Harbours series began today on Achica –  Link Here